While promising, all's Fair in Love and Treachery is a historical mystery novel with a meandering plot and underdeveloped characters. The central mystery, intertwining the death of a viscount with a more recent fatality at an orphanage, is intriguing but bogged down by excessive repetition.
Lady Petra Forsyth, our amateur sleuth, is a conflicted heroine torn between her past and present. While her passion is commendable, her frequent distractions hinder her investigative prowess. Though serviceable, the supporting cast lacks depth and relies heavily on the reader's familiarity with the previous book.
The novel's pacing could be more consistent, with the crucial clues emerging abruptly in the latter half, feeling more contrived than cleverly deduced. While charming, the romance between Petra and Shawcross feels extraneous.
Despite its shortcomings, the story remains accessible, and the historical setting is well-realized. However, a prior reading of the first book is essential to truly appreciate the full depth of the narrative and its characters.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and Netgalley for this ARC. I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting! I would definitely recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Celeste Connally. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I couldn't read all of it, after about 30% of the story I began to skip around. What I found was just as uninteresting. I didn't like Petra, the lead character, or the other characters to be honest. The plot was more contemporary than historical and I felt it was forced into the genre when it would have been better off in modern time. Reading the first book would help a lot, it seems to pick up right where the first ended and it was confusing.

#All'SFairinLoveandTreachery #NetGalley #MinotaurBooks #whodoneit #LadyPetraInquires

Celeste Connelly knows how to write a mystery that keeps you on your toes! I have been anxiously awaiting the second book in the series since the first one ended on such a cliff hanger. I’m pleased to report that the 2nd book in the series did not disappoint. I adore Lady Petra and her friends, and every chapter in this book had me flipping to the next page to see what would happen. Highly recommend for historical mystery fans.

I received the ebook and audiobook as Arcs from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley!!

This book, like the first one, is a fun historical mystery with memorable characters that keep the story moving. The pros are definitely the overwhelming compassion and respect shown by the main character to everyone she meets, her tenaciousness and determination to solve the mystery and catch the bad guy, and the relationships among her friends. The cons - sometimes our FMC does the “I’m going to make a stupid decision that I know is dangerous, find myself in a perilous situation, and then act like I had it handled all along when someone jumps in to save me.” She runs right into situations that she should anticipate seeing as how she is this wonderful detective that solves murders and cracks open cases involving political subterfuge, spies, and well guarded secrets from the elite and wealthy. My other con is the openess of the female characters about their sex lives. I don’t doubt that it occurred but the amount of times they made statements about their sex lives in ear shot of so many others seems unrealistic. One of the characters seems to be doing an impression of Samantha from Sex in the City but in carriages and at balls.

The narrator was well spoken and fun to listen to. She provided just the right amount of sass and snark to our FMC and enough differentiation to the voices used for the other characters, that each was unique and distinguishable. 4 ⭐️

Thanks, Macmillan Audio and Minotaur Books, for the ALC and arc!

I needed the second book when I finished the first book in the LADY PETRA INQUIRIES series. One year is much too long to wait, but I have to say the wait for ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE AND TREACHERY was worth it. Lady Petra returned strong, smart, and snarky, and I love her so much. She also gets the best book blurb, “BRIDGERTON meets Agatha Christie in this dazzling next installment in a captivating Regency-era mystery series with a feminist spin.” Are you excited about her books now?

The ending of the first book solved a case but left us with a devious cliffhanger that surprised me. I started reading as soon as I received the arc because I had to find out what would happen. I missed the audiobook and ended up pausing my read until I got the new audiobook because Eilidh Beaton is such a good narrator for this series!! I love her voice for Lady Petra! Plus, her side characters are excellent! Reading is a splendid decision, but I adore this series on audio.

I love how quirky this series is. It truly is BRIDGERTON meets Agatha Christie. We get the gorgeous dress descriptions, the events of the ton, the tea, and then we get the crime-solving - sometimes in the silliest of ways!

If you’re a fan of either of the previously mentioned series, this is a series for you!

This is book 2 in the Lady Petra Inquires series. They can be read as stand alone novels, but you get more from book 2 if you read book 1 first. The narrator for the audio book is Eilidh Beaton and she did a wonderful job. She also narrated the first book, Think Like a Lady, Act Like a Lord.

Set in 1815, Lady Petra is requested to investigate a murder at the all female's orphanage by Queen Charlotte. Meanwhile, her lover and childhood best friend, Duncan Shawcross, is also working from a different angle on the same case. They cross paths but do they work together or pull against one another for the investigation?

I enjoyed the setting and the characters. I loved both Lady Petra and Duncan from the first book. The sub-characters are really fun to get to know also. I hope there are more books with some of them having a larger part in the investigating (or perhaps as suspects again). The one thing that always unsettles me on books such as this, with an outspoken female, is wondering how realistic it would have been. Way back when, I don't believe there were a lot of moments where a woman was allowed to speak her mind in public, so sometimes I get a little hung up on that. If you like the regency era time, you will enjoy this book.

Thank you for the copy, this is my honest opinion. Please be aware of any trigger warnings, as your mental health is most important.

I really wanted to like this book. While I enjoy some of the characters, there are still too many, which I didn't like about the first book. It becomes a chore to keep them straight, and then my mind isn't on the story. The mystery is pretty good.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is the second in the series and I find myself liking Petra and Duncan a lot more. There were a lot of characters and I am glad I made myself a character list as I needed to reference it often. In the beginning the head of the girls orphanage is found dead and Petra starts an investigation. She also finds a note claiming that Duncan murdered her fiance, Emerson. There was a lot of intrigue that at times i found hard to follow and familial connections that were all eventually explained.

I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a digital copy

The sequel was enjoyable and provided more insight into Petra's long-lost fiancé as well as her current love interest.

The mystery was well-crafted and kept me engaged throughout.

I still absolutely adore Sable—what a standout puppy!

The dynamic with the Duchess manipulating Petra was intriguing, especially since some of the seemingly innocent characters weren’t entirely forthcoming with her. I didn’t quite understand why they insisted on her piecing things together on her own. I’m particularly looking at the Duchess and the main male character here.

The ending tied everything up nicely, with some unexpected twists and turns that genuinely surprised me.

Overall, I had a great time with this book!

Thank you to Minotaur books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was so much fun! I love this series and this one was even better. Whenever I’m deep into fantasy and need a break, I grab a mystery and this was the perfect solution. I love Celeste’s prose and I can’t get enough. Petra was such a fun character to follow and I loved that this is a historical mystery. It was so fun to read. I read it in two sittings. I definitely think if you’re a mystery or historical fan, you need to pick this one up!

"Since I have declared myself as never wishing to marry, I have often heard others saying I wish to be a nosy busybody instead. And that means few will think twice when I ask all the questions I like.”

Just like in Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man, Lady Petra Inquires #1, people, specifically men, underestimate the prowess of Lady Petra's sleuthing skills in the new All's Fair In Love And Treachery, Lady Petra Inquires #2, by the cleverly skilled author, Celeste Connelly.

While London is celebrating Napoleon's surrender at Waterloo, Lady Petra is having her own internal war. She's uncovered evidence that the death of her beloved fiance 3 years ago was not accidental but murder! Worse, the killer is likely her secret lover Duncan; who is nowhere to be found at the moment.

Only Petra would think the best way to take her mind off this new development is to honor the Queen's request to look into the death of the matron that ran the Asylum for Female Orphans. Like the board game Clue, the matron was struck in the head with a candlestick laying next to her. Her investigation finds not only unsavory happenings at the asylum but a plot to overthrow the monarchy.

All this turmoil is delightfully performed by voice actress Eilidh Beaton, who as in the book 1, gives Petra her spunk with a wink to us that she knows she's smarter than these scoundrels.

I adore reading and listening to this series. This writer encompasses not only a fine Agatha Christie type mystery but a sultry Bridgerton scandalous love affair. At the same time she lets us know that in a man's world a Lady knows All's Fair In Love and Treachery.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

All's Fair in Love and Treachery by Celeste Connally allows Lady Petra to realize that things aren't as they seem.

Can Lady Petra focus on her royal assignment? Or could the two cases be connected?

Lady Petra gains a critical piece of information from her last mystery, and she can't believe her eyes when it reveals that Duncan Shawcross might have killed her, believing Emerson. Petra has a lot of puzzle pieces that she has to sort through. I love how Petra can put the puzzle pieces together in her head as she gets more of them throughout the book. Petra is a sensible character who solves a case by getting people to talk to her. Lady Petra goes through the wringer of emotions as she tries to figure everything out, and I believe this was a good way for her to finally put her past to rest with Emerson.

The Mysteries
Lady Petra finds out that Emerson was murdered before being pushed down the stairs three years earlier. Now, she has to solve the death of the matron of the Asylum for Female Orphans since the Queen thinks radicals are up to no good with the orphanage. Petra needs the help of her friends to solve these cases. They find a lot of clues, and Petra starts to connect them. I have to say that I thought Emerson might still be alive for a minute there. Ms. Connally had me stumped on this one for quite a while.

Five Stars
Lady Petra, Duncan Shawcross, and the rest of their friends have successfully stopped the radicals while solving two cases simultaneously. My rating for All's Fair in Love and Treachery by Celeste Connally is five stars. If you love the Regency era with some mystery, you should try this series! Ms. Connally has written a fabulous set of characters, and I can't wait to see what her next case will be about.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of All’s Fair in Love and Treachery by Celeste Connally.

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

Those who try to solve the mystery before the characters will be thoroughly stymied by this one. Good luck! This was a delightfully complex mystery and a worthy second book in the Lady Petra series by Celeste Connally.

All's Fair in Love and Treachery by Celeste Connally is the second in the Lady Petra Forsyth mystery series. As England celebrates the victory over Napolean, Lady Petra is embroiled in trying to find out if her lover iis connected with a plot to overthrow the Monarchy. The story and depictions of both upper and lower classes of characters is well done.

What a fun historical romance with a strong female lead! Lady Petra has proven she's got a knack for solving mysteries, so the Queen requests she help investigate a recent murder she believes is connected to threats against the monarchy. While Lady Petra is investigating the murder, she's forced to confront intertwined mysteries of how her love, Duncan, might be involved -- is he the man she thought he was?

I loved Lady Petra's fearlessness, her friendship with the circle of women she surrounds herself with, and most of all, the way she's not afraid to be independent at a time when that wasn't the norm. Highly recommend this book and this series!

This book is a delightfully twisty regency mystery!

As a reader who enjoys both historical fiction and mysteries, I found myself thoroughly entertained by Celeste Connally's latest addition to her Regency-era mystery series. Set against the backdrop of Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in June 1815, the story follows the clever and determined Lady Petra Forsyth as she unravels multiple mysteries that hit surprisingly close to home.

Connally does a good job of weaving together the various mystery elements. The central investigation into the death of a matron at the Asylum for Female Orphans cleverly intertwines with Lady Petra's personal history, creating layers of intrigue that kept me guessing for most of the book. While some of the plot twists in the book require a healthy suspension of disbelief, the entertainment value more than makes up for any stretches in plausibility.

Connally's writing maintains a broadly Regency tone while creating characters with modern sensibilities. While this might be a drawback for some, it also keeps the story accessible. The dialogue is sharp, and the mystery unfolds with enough red herrings and genuine clues to keep readers engaged. While Lady Petra feels somewhat anachronistic for the time, she makes for an appealing protagonist whose personal struggles add depth to the mystery-solving elements. Her determination to protect both the orphaned girls and the monarchy, even while dealing with her own grief, showcases her strength of character.

Despite requiring some suspension of disbelief, "All's Fair in Love and Treachery" delivers an entertaining read that successfully combines historical romance with mystery elements. While the story takes a bit of time to get going, the way the personal and political plot lines mesh together creates a satisfying whole that kept me turning pages until the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It's an exciting story but not easy to follow with all the twisting and overlapping of two investigations. I'm still not sure why Lady Petra is not given all the information necessary for her investigation. And Petra is guilty at least once of TSTL syndrome (too stupid to live). Hopefully she'll be smarter next time. If Duncan wasn't so busy hiding what he's up to maybe combining forces sooner would have resulted in a faster resolution and fewer bruises. Oh well. I'll be interested to see how their next adventure works out.

Everyone she cares about is concealing truths from her

Lady Petra Forsyth, on the heels of her recent success in sleuthing, was just starting to open her heart to love after the loss of her fiancé Emerson three years earlier. She is devastated when she finds writings indicating that not only was Emerson’s death not an accident, as she had been led to believe, but that he was murdered….by none other than Duncan Shawcross, her childhood friend and current lover. Worse still, Duncan seems to have disappeared, possibly on one of his secret assignments but perhaps just to avoid being confronted by Petra’s accusations. When her godmother the Duchess of Hillmorton and Queen Charlotte request Petra’s help in finding the truth behind the recent murder of Mrs. Huxton, matron of the Asylum for Female Orphans, she is more than eager to accept (hoping to get her mind off of Duncan’s apparent betrayal). That the matron’s murder may be connected to a plot to kill members of the Royal Family in pursuit of making Britain a republic makes the matter even more compelling. Petra will need the help of many in her circle to find the truth, including Duncan himself. A runaway orphan, an inheritance gone astray, and the possible connection between the current plots and what happened years earlier….the stakes could not be higher, and Petra is putting not just herself but those she loves in jeopardy.
In this second installment in the Regency-era Lady Petra Inquires series, the feisty young amateur sleuth who is not afraid to buck the conventions of the era (and fortunately has both the financial resources and influential friends to support her) is thrown for a loop by the thought that Duncan is not the rakish but honorable man she believed him to be. She’s also finding that several of her friends are being less than forthcoming about their own actions, to her dismay. All of that has to be set aside if she is going to fulfill the wishes of the Duchess and the Queen and help protect the monarchy and its supporters from those who seek to use violence to affect change. She’s impulsive (overly so, at times) but determined, and the more she probes into the past the more clarity she finds regarding certain earlier happenings and current matters as well. Duncan pops in and out as he investigates his own missions, and it is unclear for a while as to whether he is on the side of good or bad. Characters from the previous tale including street urchin Teddy, Petra’s closest friend Lady Caroline and apothecarist Frances Bardwell and others are on hand to aid in Petra’s investigation and contribute their own talents to the cause. This is an enjoyable and fast-paced tale likely to appeal both to readers of authors like Anne Perry, Stephanie Barron and Rhys Bowen and to fans of shows like Bridgerton and Downton Abbey. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaurs Books for allowing me early access to this sprightly tale of long buried secrets that force their way to the surface.

Book review: 3.5/5 ⭐️
Genre: regency murder mystery
Themes: murder, political reform, inheritance
📖 Read if you like: Miss Austen Investigates, Sticks and Scones, A Lady’s Guide to Scandal

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book, which was released this week!

This was a cozy murder mystery in regency era England where a band of rebels seeks to overthrown the monarchy. These anarchists, known as the Bellowers seek much needed reforms, but are willing to use violence to achieve those aims. Amidst this rising insurgency, the head matron of a girls orphanage has been brutally murdered and quite possibly our heroine’s late fiancee. It is up to our investigators to determine if all these events are related and who is pulling the strings on this well thought out plan.

An unlikely troop of the aristocracy and shop owners form our circle of friends and undercover investigators. Working for the Queen, Lady Petra has been assigned to the murder of one Mrs. Huxley on the same day that she was informed her oldest friend and current lover may have killed her finacee. Said lover named Duncan Shawcross, is the illegitimate son of a marquis and favourite of his grandmother, a duchess who is a close friend with the Queen. An undercover agent working for the Queen’s men, he is attempting to root out this plot in the shadows and stop the threat to the monarchy while also keeping Lady Petra from harm.

This was a cozy mystery that reminded me of Bridgerton, but with some modernity. Women are allowed to take liberties akin to men in premarital relations, independent women of means can be more than ornamental, and friendships form across the class divide. Even though I could spot the villain early on in the novel, it was well thought out and had multiple intertwining plots on the go. The amateur sleuthing was accompanied by some ruffians to create an air of danger making for a very enjoyable read.

This is part of a series and while I think reading the first book would help understand how various characters know each other and the bond and trust that exists there, it is not necessary to appreciate this book. When my mind has been distracted and I have had difficulty focusing, I found this book to be a balm. A little of that regency romance intertwined with a mystery made for an engaging and lighthearted read.

For fans of Agatha Christie style mysteries and those with a partiality to the regency era.